2014 Forum Knife

justsomedude

justsomedude

Gold Member
Joined
May 23, 2011
Messages
1,140
Have we started on this yet? I can't find any posts about it.

I'm ready, let's do it!

I volunteer to help organize it if you'll have me...
 
Remington banana knife by GEC
Carbon steel Pattadesa
Ivory micarta slim Opinel w/ W2 blade
Natural stag shadow Bullnose
6-blade Congress (all punches or all speys)
Case/Victorinox collab (Texas Jack + Alox Cadet hybrid)
Sowbelly half stockman
Some kind of fixed blade?

Whoops
I guess I'll save my ideas for later
:D
 
I think if we cast our gaze back a couple of weeks -I already baggsied a ramshorn cattle knife -although i don't want to appear selfish so how about cattle/buffalo horn?
 
Sonnemann said:
Sowbelly half stockman
:D
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I'm down with this, either as a jack or a single spring with clip and sheepfoot.

My rad thought, though, is for a copperhead bolstered 3¾" sowbelly single-blade zulu spear in 52100 @ 61 HRc.
 
Last year's knife was a major pain in the derriere for the mods and the design team, both on the forum and behind the scenes. The path forward on this year's knife has a major additional roadblock compared to the previous two years. I will not elucidate on that at this time.

However, I will talk to Gary this week and discuss whether we want anything to do with such a thing.
 
Let's make it more affordable, so I say a Case Sodbuster with black ebony scales, retaining the large bird's eye pivot, with a simple shield on both sides, one side engraved Blade Forum, the other side engraved 2014. I'll put my order in now for three. Thanks for listening.:)
 
Alnamvet68 said:
Let's make it more affordable, so I say a Case Sodbuster with black ebony scales, retaining the large bird's eye pivot, with a simple shield on both sides, one side engraved Blade Forum, the other side engraved 2014. I'll put my order in now for three. Thanks for listening.:)
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Personally I say a Case Sodbuster with an actual point on it. And lets add in some blue jigged bone that matches the site with a bladeforums shield.
 
The end result of the 13 project was a great knife, a rare pattern and excellent quality.:thumbup:

However, it was a lot of stress for those involved in the admin of it, lots of polls where everybody had their say, lots promised to buy but some did not materialize... big headache for the main financial sponsor... :eek:

I'd suggest that a ' Council of Wise Elders from the Trad Forum' put their heads together, suggest a pattern already in production (to save tooling costs etc) with a handle they approve of, get a quote from a company. Then set a sign up deadline, if there's no interest no knife, if there is we procede. Say a stainless 48 Slimline Trapper from GEC in Ram's Horn just an example :D (never had the pattern before, no single blade, no stainless before, no Ram's horn etc) Yes I know it's not very 'democratic' and all that but polls can get out of hand, bickering can break out over imagined grievances, and the process can get mired. Then there's the financial complexities which are considerable, so we might not be able to get it off the ground to be realistic. Which is why I suggest a nominated knife rather than "I want xyz but at only abc cost" just sayin';)
 
A Case sod buster would be pretty cool, in ebony especially! really I wish for a Texas Jack in ebony, w/ shield, and rat tail bolsters...
 
TL-29 by Northwoods, elk or stag covers, 1095 (duh), with a propeller shield and fancy scrollwork bolsters. I'd be in for two. :D
 
I'd be happy to see a forum knife in 2014. But it has to be something I actually want since I am not a collector. Not going to buy just for the sake of buying. If I like the pattern and desgin, I would be willing to pay in advance prior to the knife being ordered to help finance the effort.
 
My impression is that we will be lucky to have any 2014 Forum knife.

The 2013 was a great knife, but I think it was overshadowed by complaints and slow sales.
 
willgoy said:
The end result of the 13 project was a great knife, a rare pattern and excellent quality.:thumbup:

However, it was a lot of stress for those involved in the admin of it, lots of polls where everybody had their say, lots promised to buy but some did not materialize... big headache for the main financial sponsor... :eek:

I'd suggest that a ' Council of Wise Elders from the Trad Forum' put their heads together, suggest a pattern already in production (to save tooling costs etc) with a handle they approve of, get a quote from a company.
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I agree with this. I'd hate to see the tradition fall away because of all the stress and hassle. If it is simpler and cheaper to chose an existing pattern, and just put a Bladeforums stamp or shield on it, I'd say we do that this year. Just to take a breather from all the conflicting desires.
 
I would still love to get the 2013 knife--it seems the perfect execution of the pattern to my aesthetic. I just only have the money for 1-2 such knives per year, and others are still higher on my priority list. Of course, to be clear, I stayed out of the design/polling process entirely. I think it was finishing up when I switched from lurker to registered user of BF. And even then I knew the funds wouldn't be there.

Michael
 
Sometimes things designed by committee or a series of votes end up being something that appeals to few. You also have the competing desires of the long-time members who want something different than the previous years, and newer members who missed out on the previous ones and might want something similar to what was done before. Similarly, those who have been around knives a long time will want something new and unusual, whereas the newer arrivals might want something more mainstream. So it's very hard to come up with something that is both unique AND appeals to a large enough number of people to make it viable for sale.

Kind of like artwork, wine, or anything else where there are both connoisseurs and consumers. That $100-a-bottle wine may be much better and will appeal to the discerning nose, but it may get dusty on the display while the $10 stuff is what flies off the shelves. It's hard to strike that balance.

Another forum I am a member of does the "design by vote" thing and ended up with a 2013 knife that, while unique, is not something I want to own so I didn't buy it. I was on the losing side of most every poll. The decisions also tend to get dominated by the most active and opinionated participants, which I suppose is inevitable, but in the end they are usually buying just one knife, same as the person who just casually voted or didn't know enough about the subject to try to sway opinion in one way or another.

I think these things work better when there are a limited number of choices at each stage of the game, predetermined by a 'czar' based on what they know will be likely to sell enough of, no matter what is chosen at each stage of the selection process. That way people might not be able to get their long-term fantasy triple bolster goatsfoot/gladius/spoon three-quarter congress copperhead barlow with emerald and silver inlaid half jigged unicorn horn scales and high-patina carbon-uranium Damascus steel blades, but at least they would sell enough to cover the costs of doing it.
 
I thoroughly agree with jc57's post above; anyway, I suspect a Forum knife for the most part, will be a collector's knife, and not a user; that said, a more affordable knife for the masses, an existing pattern, and no need to worry about blade geometry since it's a collector piece, will keep cost's down. I bring you the possibility of a Case Soddy in ebony, with a Blade Forums shield on one side, and a 2014 either on a shield on the opposite side, or simply stamped somewhere on the tang. I would forgo etching the blade with ink etchings since from my perspective, these type of blade embellishments, at the very least, are garish/excessively gaudy.

 
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I love the sodbuster and all, but I don't think there needs to be a special version of one. With all the options that Case, Queen, and GEC have been putting out, I don't see the need to make something new/different.

I think a single blade trapper would be good and simple.... or a classy cattle knife for something a little nicer.....


Edit: Maybe it's finally time for that Blade Forums peanut.
 
EDIT: Reply withdrawn. After thinking about it I'm not likely to be interested in a forum knife so I'll stay out of it.
 
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Woodrow F Call said:
I love the sodbuster and all, but I don't think there needs to be a special version of one. With all the options that Case, Queen, and GEC have been putting out, I don't see the need to make something new/different.

I think a single blade trapper would be good and simple.... or a classy cattle knife for something a little nicer.....


Edit: Maybe it's finally time for that Blade Forums peanut.
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Why not, but with the myriad of Peanut offerings by Case, I don't think there needs to be a special version of one. With all the options that Case has been putting out, I don't see the need to make something new/different. ;)

The bottom line, stick with an existing pattern, which in effect, makes for a "special version of one", but less costly, or make a "special version of one" knife that doesn't exist, pattern wise, in anyone's current inventory, making it a costly, a big heiny headache, and less available to a greater number of members.
 
I bought one last year (and the year before) despite misgivings about the price and the overall design. I did it just to 'help' the process because I enjoy the Traditionals sub-forum and sold it here after a 'reasonable' time for exactly what I had in it.
My 2013 is a user, as is each and every knife I buy. I don't mind paying a bit more for a Forum knife IF it helps the forum, I am lucky enough to be able to afford to buy one that I don't plan on keeping just to keep the process alive.
I think some kind of uniqueness, other than a stamp is important, maybe not a deal breaker, but important. Scale material, steel, even just adding a lanyard tube or bail to an existing pattern would be enough in my eyes.
 
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